Psalm 119:133-135 KJV “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver me from the oppression of man: so will I keep thy precepts. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; and teach me thy statutes.”
“Order my steps in Your Word, dear Lord…” An old song, I still love to this day. Same words have become a prayer on my lips each day – and I find, even throughout the day. As Psalms 37:23 KJV tells us, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.” I desire to be good in the sight of the Lord. I desire for Him to deliver me and not allow sin to take control over my life, so I pray daily that my steps are ordered by the Lord.
I pray that my words are filtered by the Lord. I am learning that there is a time to speak and a time to hold my peace, despite my fleshly desire to vindicate myself or simply speak. Sometimes, I simply must hold my peace.
I pray daily that He instruct my decisions. Never do I want to be outside of His will. While route B looks to be flowing a lot smoother than the original route, and the GPS says it is “7 min faster.” On my own, I take the “faster” route, like everyone else, and find myself stuck, getting to the intended destination 15 minutes later! (Gets me more often than I care to admit.) Why? Because, I veered off course. Isn’t life like this sometimes?
I do my best to stay my course. I’m not quite sure how anyone can stand to hold a conversation with me for too long, I become distracted easily. It’s not the shiny things that distract me (all the time), it can be something as simple as a phrase, or word, that sets my mind on a completely different path and there is no turning back. Well, it takes a lot of effort, and by effort I mean pretending that I know what we’re discussing, and praying the other party doesn’t pick up that I am now completely lost, or checked out and trying to catch back up.
Still, with distractions coming easily to me, I have to be intentional to do everything it takes to stay my course. This means staying rooted in the Word of God, maintaining a healthy and constant prayer life, and seeking His direction in all things.
Psalms 23:4-5 KJV “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”
The 23rd Psalm has always been a special Psalm in my heart. I grew up listening to my grandfather recite it by heart. It was even read at his home going service. It wasn’t until I really studied and broke down each verse, line by line, that I understood the meaning.
Even when we are in the midst of the battle, darkness, our trials – which we all have to face at some point, Christ is there. He leads us, protects us, comforts us – in the midst of it all. All the while, preparing our blessing on the other side. We may not see it, but the enemy does, which is why he tries to stop us.
Fear is such a powerful tactic, because so many cower, freeze, or turn back, in the face of fear. Fight, flight, freeze. These apply to us spiritually as well. I had to learn to be a fighter in the spiritual sense, because “Greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world.” If I honestly believe that, then I have nothing to fear with Christ on my side.
As the Lord directs me and my decisions, I am reminded also that the enemy is preparing a table for me. This table looks appealing, I have eaten from it in the past, not realizing it until it was too late. Admittedly, I have even eaten from it knowingly, ignoring the warnings – another time, another place. Therefore, I must stay tuned in, listen to what the Lord says, lay down my wants for His. I have learned more than once that what I want is not always what He has designed for me. While I am busy chasing my desires, I have missed out on my blessing. Won’t make that mistake again!
As He leads, I will follow. My prayer today, and everyday, is that He would order my steps according to His Word, bridle my tongue according to His Word, and keep my mind in perfect peace as I wait on His promises.
On the Outside Looking In 